Chapter 819: A Proposal

The meal consisted of rare delicacies from the Kali Mountains, paired with fine wines. Mei Gongzi refrained from drinking, but she still toasted Jin Anguo three times to show her respect, thus completing the formalities of the reception.

After the meal, the Great Demon Kings and Demon Kings were escorted to rest, while the two city lords held their first discussion in the council hall.

Each side kept only one Great Demon King with them. On Mei Gongzi's side, Luo Qingzhu accompanied her personally. Jin Anguo was naturally accompanied by a Behemoth Great Demon King.

"I appreciate your generous hospitality, City Lord Mei. My visit is rather presumptuous and must have caused some inconvenience to Kali City," Jin Anguo said warmly. At least on the surface, he didn't appear to be the leader of the fierce Behemoth clan, but a pleasant young human.

Indeed, he wasn't just the city lord but also the clan leader. The Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor didn't hold these positions himself and instead left them to his youngest son, a testament to his deep trust.

In the Behemoth clan, strength was revered even more than it usually was among demons, and Jin Anguo was exceptionally powerful. In addition, he was also very intelligent, a rare combination. He had attained the positions of clan leader and city lord with little resistance; even his older brothers had supported him. Naturally, he was truly highly regarded in the Empyrean Dominion. He was universally acknowledged as the future successor to the Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor, destined to become an Emperor—not just "with the potential" but

guaranteed

to become one.

"You're too kind," Mei Gongzi replied with a polite smile. "When the two envoys from the Ancestral Court came to inform me of your visit, I was quite surprised. After all, we haven't had the opportunity to meet before. It must have been tiring for you to travel all the way to our northeastern territory."

Jin Anguo looked at the stunning Mei Gongzi, recalling his father's instructions, and his smile deepened. "Our Behemoth clan has always been straightforward. I'll be direct about the purpose of my visit. If there is any offense, I ask for your forgiveness, City Lord Mei."

Mei Gongzi remained composed and smiled as she replied, "You're too polite. Please, go ahead."

Jin Anguo straightened up slightly and said, "I've heard from my father about your impressive performance during your evaluation. To be honest, it shocked me. When I underwent my own evaluation, I had to rely on the fact that my father is an Emperor. But you gained recognition from the Ancestral Court entirely through your own power. Moreover, you are the fastest in history to advance from Demon King to Great Demon King in the Ancestral Court's records. Truly admirable."

"You flatter me. I've long heard of your reputation, City Lord Jin. You are a true role model for any demon."

Jin Anguo smiled. "I've come here to pay my respects to you, City Lord Mei, and to express my hope that Sky-Splitting City and Kali City can become allies. I also have some personal matters on which I'd like to ask your opinion."

Mei Gongzi's curiosity was piqued. "This is the first time we meet, City Lord Jin. What personal matters might those be?"

"City Lord Mei, since you've just become the lord of the main city, you may not be fully aware. The Ancestral Court has always been of the opinion that main city lords must produce descendants as quickly as possible to ensure their inheritance is passed down. This is crucial for the future development of our Empyrean Dominion. In a sense, our inheritance can largely be described as a hereditary system. Just like how you inherited the legacy of your father, the Peacock Great Demon King. But to the best of my knowledge, you do not have a partner, so I wonder if you have given any thought to finding a spouse."

Mei Gongzi was stunned. She had fully expected Jin Anguo to have some kind of ulterior motives, but she never imagined that he would say something like this. A spouse?

She looked at him in confusion and said, "I don't understand what you mean, City Lord Jin."

Jin Anguo responded somewhat reservedly, "It's like this. My father witnessed your performance during your evaluation and felt that you were an exceptional talent. You also happen to be unmarried, and so my clan wishes to establish a marriage alliance with yours. This would be beneficial for both the Behemoth clan and the Peacock Demon clan. This would allow Sky-Splitting City and Kali City to form a deep bond, and they would develop together in the future. The White Tiger Demon Emperor is your grandfather, and you have his protection. My father is the Emperor of my clan, and I have his. In the future, we both have the potential to become Emperors ourselves. Such an alliance would ensure us a prominent position within the Ancestral Court... maybe

the

prominent position."

"Wait, hold on." Mei Gongzi's eyes were wide in disbelief. "Are you saying that... you came here to propose marriage to me?"

She could hardly believe her ears. Before today, the Peacock Demon clan and the Behemoth clan had almost no connection whatsoever. What had possessed this man that he was here with such a proposal?

Jin Anguo nodded seriously. "That's exactly right. I am already married, but if you are willing, then you will naturally be my main wife. We can think of a future together, for our clans and our cities."

Mei Gongzi took a deep breath and calmed herself down before replying in a calm yet firm tone. "I'm afraid that's not possible. Today is the first time you and I have met; marriage is a significant matter and can't be decided casually. You have traveled far to visit, and we will certainly treat you well, but this matter is putting me in a difficult position."

Jin Anguo shrugged casually. "There's no rush; I'm merely making an informal proposal. Of course, it's our first meeting, and we don't know each other at all. But recently, Sky-Splitting City hasn't had much going on, so I'm willing to stay in Kali City for a while, spend time with you, and let you get to know me better. We can start as friends. If, in the near future, you think I'm a suitable match, we can take things further at that time."

When the Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor told Jin Anguo to come and propose marriage, Jin Anguo was instinctively resistant. Among the Behemoth clan, he was not only a naturally gifted powerhouse but also a wise leader, which allowed him to surpass all his brothers and eventually become the clan leader. In Sky-Splitting City, he was the absolute favored son of heaven, and after a number of years at the helm, he had a firm grasp of Sky-Splitting City and the Behemoth Clan. The Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor trusted him fully, and his word was law.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Of course, as the favored son of the Behemoth clan, he had no problems finding a wife. As he had mentioned to Mei Gongzi, as the city lord and clan leader, inheritance was a significant matter, and he'd long since made his decision on the matter.

However, pressured by his father's urging, he still came to visit. And when he saw Mei Gongzi for the first time, he was shocked.

Before coming, he had just heard a couple of things about Mei Gongzi's talent and her performance during the evaluation. She was a human hybrid and she was not even twenty years old, yet she had become a city lord through her own power. And according to his father, she had already become a Great Demon King—the youngest Great Demon King in history. That was no small feat, even in the eyes of someone as exceptional as Jin Anguo.

But when he actually saw Mei Gongzi, what stunned him was her beauty.

Mei Gongzi was a devastating beauty, plain and simple.

Among the Behemoth clan, Jin Anguo was the one who most resembled a human when in human form, even more so than his father. He also happened to favor human women, who were gentle and beautiful, a far cry from the ruggedness of female Behemoths. And in Mei Gongzi, he saw all the qualities he admired in human women, moreover coupled with as high a noble status as anyone could have. His initially dismissive attitude instantly shifted. Conquering a woman like her was something that deeply thrilled him, not to mention the benefits it would bring to the Behemoth clan.